Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Functionalized Spirocyclic Heterocycle Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Assay
Published on: February 9, 2021
Synthesis and anticancer activity of novel betulinic acid and betulin derivatives
Harish Kommera1, Goran N Kaluderović, Jutta Kalbitz
1Biozentrum, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.
Abstract:
A series of novel betulinic acid derivatives 3-11 and betulin derivatives 12-17 were synthesized. The compounds were characterized by the means of (1)H- and (13)C-NMR spectroscopy as well as mass spectrometry. The compounds have been tested on ten tumor cell lines of different histogenic origin. The most active derivatives, containing a chloroacetyl group on C-3 in betulinic acid 9 and C-28 in betulin 15, were up to ten times more cytotoxic and many fold more selective towards tumor cells in comparison to normal cells (fibroblasts) than betulinic acid. Furthermore, compound 15 was found to possess cell growth inhibition even when treated for a short time on anaplastic thyroid cancer cells (SW1736).
Related Concept Videos
Drugs that Destabilize Microtubules
Antifungal Agents
Drugs that Stabilize Microtubules
